After 1699 the Border of the Habsburg Empire was definitely stabilized
on the rivers Sava and the Danube. A conflict between military and
church authorities broke out on the issue of organization of the newly
conquered regions. The bishops and Court Chamber tried to turn as many
peasants as possible into serfdom, while the Generals tended to have
them all in military service for the new parts of the Border. The status
of the Border Guard was favoured among the population, and it was very
difficult to distinguish the guardsmen from the contributors. It was
done in 1703, although incompletely, so that the chaos of the disposition
of population continued during whole first half of the eighteenth century,
until the reforms of Maria Theresa in 1740s.

During the first half of the eighteenth century the disposition of
the population, as well as the division between the paor (serfs) and
military men was completely chaotic. Bandits and uprisings spread all
over the area. The Border was organized no sooner than the middle of
the century, when the reforms were issued by Maria Theresa. During
the “War for Austrian Succession” (1741-1748) the Border
troops were to be used in European battlefields, so that the standardization
and unification of the Border were initiated. In 1743 the Empress dissolved
the Kriegsrat in Graz, and in 1748 the maintenance of the Border was
transferred to the state budget, and the administration handed over
to the Hofkriegsrat. The forming of regiments was ended until 1750.19
In 1754 the reforms were rounded up with new administrative and court
regulations, named Militaer-Grenz-Rechten.

The border was divided into 11 regiments. The Upper Border consisted
of four: the regiments of Lika, Otocac, Ogulin and Slunj. The Banal
Border was divided into two regiments: the first and the second Banal
regiment. The Lower Border, i.e., the Border of Slavonia, consisted
of five regiments: the regiments of Križevci, Gjurgevci, Gradiška,
Brod and Petrovaradin.

Thus, in the era of Enlightened Absolutism, the process of reconstruction
of the Military Border was completed and it became subordinated directly
to the Court as a corpus separatum and the ruler’s instrument.
Thus, the constant conflict with the estates was originated. Since
the estates did not want to bear costs for the defence any longer,
and the Court could not do it, the military fief for the support of
the communal household was established. Thus, the fief became the basis
and the main source of the communal household economic independence.

Beside the military fief, the basis of the military organization was
the zadruga (joint family household) and regiment organization. [2] Some
convulsions occurred when županije (comitats) were divided from
the Border. That, however, brought stabilization of population and
more favourable economic conditions.

To the end of the Border history (until 1873), no significant changes
in the Border organization occurred. Its importance was decreasing;
it was incapable to adapt to the demands of the time, both in military
and economic respect. In 1787, Joseph II attempted to share the power
between the military and civilian authorities in the regiments. This
corresponded to his ideas about the functioning of a modern state,
but after his death this experiment, as well as most of his reforms,
failed. The last attempt to modernize the Border - the reforms of Archduke
Karl - occurred at the beginning of the next century, in 1803, but
it was also a failure. The frontiersmen supported themselves by tilling
the soil, without any time spare to learn new military skills.

Military Border Territories (Militär Grenze) 1809. An year
to be forgotten [3]

In 1809 every one of the 17 regiments had 2 battalions with a strength
of around 2966 (among them were 44 artillerymen and 240 snipers or
scharfschützen).[4] Every
regiment had one Reserve (third) battalion (Kader) of 1437 men and
the 13 regular Grenzregiments had also a Landwehr (or Insurrectio)
battalion of 675 men (i.e. the Warasdin brigade of the Insurrectio
had a strength of 10000 men). In order to avoid gaps from desertions,
the Landwehr coys had to be made with 200 men (instead of the 180 men
regular companies). The Reserve and Landwehr battalion were organized
after the August 20, 1808 Order of the Grenze-commander in chief, archduke
Louis of Austria. The third or Reserve battalions had 1171 men (six
coys of 180 men) while the Landwehr (IV battalions) had 1291 men (six
coys of 200).

The Szekler Hussars had 8 squadrons and the Tchaikjsten
battalion had 1000 men in field. All the Grenzer’s manpower was,
so, around 100.000 men.

The staff and company organization of the grenz regiments were as
follows:

Regimental Staff before the 1809 French rule:

1

Oberst
(Colonel)

6

Cadets

1

Oberstleutnant
(Lieutenant Colonel)

9

Quartermaster
sergeants

2

Major (Majors)

1

Regimental
Auditor

1

Catholic
Chaplain (Croatians)

1

Regimental
Accountant

1

Regimental
Adjutant

1

Provost

1

Regimental
Surgeon

6

Assistant
Surgeons

2

Battalion
Adjutants

2

Senior
Surgeons

6

Domestics
or Servants

1

Regimental
Drummer

6

Standard
bearers

8

musicians

Companies (battalions):

8

Hauptleute
(Captains)

18

Sergeant-majors

4

Capitanlieutenants

12

Fourierschützen
(Batmen)

12

Oberlieutenants
(Senior lieutenants)

24

Drummers

12

Unterlieutenants(Junior
lieutenants)

144

Corporals

12

Fähnrichs
(Cadets)

24

Carpenters

36

Domestics
or Servants

50

Artillerists

2,160

Fusiliers
(battalion)

2,516

Total

In the year of Wagram they were so distributed:

Regular Army

the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 9 Petrovaradin (Peterwardein) under
the III Corps.
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 12 Deutsch-Banater of
Pancsova under the IV Corps.
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 13 Wallachisch-Illyrisches
(Karansebes) under the IV Corps
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 7 Brod
an der Sava under the V Corps
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 8 Nova
Gradiska under the V Corps
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 5 Varazdin
(Kreuzer) under the VI Corps
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 6 Varazdin
(St.Georger) under the VI Corps
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 14 Szekler
under the VII Corps in Poland.
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 15 Siebenbürgisches-Romänen
(Transylvania) under the VII Corps
the 8 squadrons of the Szekler Hussars
under the VII Corps
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 10 or First Banal
(Glina) under the VIII corps
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 11 or second
Banal (Petrinja) under the VIII Corps
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n.
3 Ogulin under the IX corps
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 4 Szluin
under the IX Corps
the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 2 Otoschatz (Otočac)
under the IX Corps

GrenzCorps general Stojčević (with one sqn. of Hohenzollern
Chevau-légers)

the 2 battalions of Grenzregiment n. 1 Lika

the 4 Reserve battalions of Grenzregiment n. 1-2-3-4

the 4 combined Landwehr battalion

one sqn. of Carlstädter Serezaner

120 Serezaner infantry

Note the numbers of the manpower had few differences, during
the peace periods and during wartime, because the Military Border
territory was considered as “always in war-alarm land”.
These were the definitive 1809 numbers:

Grenz battalions

Peace
time

Wartime

Wartime

Reserve
Battalion

Landwehr

staff

manpower

staff

manpower

regiment manpower

Land duty

War duty

Manpower

Croatia and Slavonia

37

1286

16

1308

2677

1406

1439

1406

Banat

37

1286

16

1308

2677

1406

1439

1406

Transylvania

42

1130

?

1164

2387

775 with 50 artillery

Szekler Hussars

51

1299 (1237
horses)

Reserve Squadron

180 (171 horses)

Czajkisten

1289 with
the staff
and 139 artillerymen

376 Reserve Division

316 Landes
Division

RANKS IN GRENZ CROATIAN-SLAVONIAN UNITS

FRANCUSKI
(French)

AUSTRIJSKI
(Austrian)

HRVATSKI – POVIJESNI

(Croatian - historical)

marechal

Feldmarschall

maršal

colonel général

general pukovnik

général en chef

Feldzeugmeister

general armije

général de division

Feldmarschall-leutenant

general divizije /podmaršal

général de brigade

General-major

brigadni general

adjudant commandant

brigadir

colonel

Obrist/Oberst

pukovnik

colonel-major

Obristleutenant/Oberstleutenant

potpukovnik

colonel en second

lieutenant colonel

major

chef de bataillon

Major/Oberstwachtmeister

major, četnik

capitaine

Hauptmann

kapetan, stotnik, satnik

lieutenant

Oberleutenant

natporučnik

sous lieutenant

Fähnrich

potporučnik/zastavnik

adjudant major

časnički namjesnik

sergent major

Feldwebel

feldbaba, stražmeštar

sergent

Corporal

kaplar

caporal fourrier

Fourier

opskrbattalionik, končar

caporal

Gefreiter

kaplar

table courtesy of: Dr. Vladimir BRNARDIĆ(Zagreb)

Grenzer uniforms

With the “kaiserliche Entschliessung” of August 18, 1808
the former difference between Home and Field uniforms was abandoned.
Difference from Home and War uniform disapperaed but still remained
differences between campaign uniforms and camp uniforms. Campaign uniforms
were received by the central Government without fee, while camp uniforms
had to be home made, with a little compensation from the regimental
cash.

In fact, earlier during the war, while going outside the Military
Border, Grenzers were obliged to carry Battalion white “Montur”,
which they got from the military warehouse or from military suppliers. Domestic
and peacetime uniforms were brown and were worn during service in areas
within the Military Border. The new regulations had eliminated
differences in color between the two uniforms, so that both were brown.
The only difference between them was what actually they intended for
peacetime uniform: old ones or made within the home cooperatives. The
color brown began to become the distinguishing hue of the Grenzers,
easy to note among the white infantry. The main reason which led to
the adoption of this new colour, was the depot large availability of
the former old Home uniforms.

As another reason for the introduction of brown colours we must tell
about the fact that were introduced, for Grenzers, in 1805, the black
belts worn over the jacket. It also mentioned the fact that the soldiers
in the white uniform had chiefly a great disadvantage during the reconnoissances
of the enemies.

According to Article
2. of the 1808 regulations, in the robes were comprised: shako (čakov),
linen camp-cap (Foragiermütze), the croat national neck tie,
the black “Halsbindel” [5],
two pairs of lower and upper underwear, two shirts, a white “Weste”,
the dark brown military jacket (jakna) (Waffenrock
– same colours for Unter and Ober officers), the work
“jakna” (Kittel), an overcoat, required only in war (Mantel),
tight blue pants
“à la hongroise”, heavy shoes with laces
(Schnürschuhe) and bag of bread. NCOs in addition of the aforementioned
things had to have leather gloves and the saber (Porte d’Épée). Auditore,
Rechnungsführern and Verwaltung officers had same uniforms but
without shako (they wore the “Dreispitz” hat, tricorne).
The selection of the Uniform magazine and the tissues quality were
left to the Grenzer regiments choice. This determined a bit of confusion.

Note: with the 1807-1808 reform the Grenzer battalions had
to change the old white jackets with the new brown ones, comprehensive
of black shoulder belts. In 1809 few units had assumed the new ordinance
uniform and among them coexisted regiments dressed in different way.
Moreover the regimental facings, at least regarding some colours, had
a bad impact on the new brown background. Insofar, in the following
years, some regiments changed also their own historical facings. This
table regards facings:

History: Licca regiment aws formed in 1746. as
the first of eleven Border Regiment of the Croatian and Slavonia territories.
Since 1764 the regiment was divided into 4 battalions, each battalion
had 4 company. That year changed the internal structure of the regiment
(reduced the number of soldiers). The regiment then had three battalions,
2 had 6 companies (satnje), and the third (depot) 4 companies.

Facts: HQ Command of the Border Regiment was the highest military,
administrative and judicial authority of the territory. Companies (Satnje)
were the lowest military, territorial and command-administrative units
of the regiment. A company was led and operated by a Captain (Satnik)
and they have also administrative officers and clerks.

The regiment was divided into 12 companies: Zrmanja n. 1, Srb n. 2,
Donji Lapac n. 3, Bruvno n. 4, Udbina n. 5, Podlapac– Zvonigrad
n. 6 (Krbava), Gračac n. 7, Lovinac n. 8, Medak n. 9 (Lika), Kaniža
n. 10, Smiljan n. 11, Osik n. 12. Each Company had its recruiting villages.
The administrative system was based on house numbers on which they
numbered soldiers, for the control of conscripts (male population of
20 - 60 years). The headquarters of the company was not a military
headquarter, they were regional administrative regiments’ offices,
such as forestry and land office.

The regiment was subordinated to the united General Command of Karlovač-Ban-Varaždin
under a superior HQ at Karlovač / Zagreb (Agram), subordinater
to the Royal Military Council in Vienna, and, from the 1848 directly
to the Zagreb general Command (General Command for Croatia) and to
the Ministry of War.

Baron Filip Vukasović (Vukassovich) returned to its regiment,
in year 1794, becaming the commander of the Liccaner.

1809: (2 regular battalion, one Reserve or third battalion)

Recruitment District:
southeastern area of the Carlstädter Generalat, the former county
of Licca and Corbavia (Lika-Krbava). Reserve battalion in Dalmatia.

The so called Grenzcorps
of general Stojchevich - Stojčević was formed by the 1st
and 2nd Liccaner battalions, the four Reserve battalions of the Carlstädt
area (R1 to R4), four combined croatian Landwehr battalions, one squadron
of mounted scouts (Seressaner or Serezaner) and 120 Serezaner infantry
(with a Sqn. of Hohenzollern Chevaulégers). Around 6000 men
(10000 with the Landwehr). Only 2/3 of the Landwehr was (home) armed,
many without uniforms and mantles, many without shoes. With impracticable
roads till April 20, they also remained without food and supplies.
In that day Stojchevich - Stojčević began to march with his
Grenzer (but with all the Landwehr units) and with the 7th, 8th and
9th companies of the Liccaner contingents of recruitment (Gračac).

During the night (April
26-27) they entered Dalmatia. They marched in two columns (the first
led by Oguliner major Slivarich-Slivarić, the second under
the Otochaner major Novich - Nović) across the Velebit
against the left flank of the Marmont’s troops.

During the French counterattack
at Klavibrod one Liccaner battalion (major Kapcherment) defended the bridge
of that town. The two Liccaner line battalions then occupied the center
of the division and defended the deployment during a French encircling
attempt. On May the Liccaner people defended their villages against
the pillaging attempts of the Turks, supporting the French operations.

On May 16 marmont did
attack. It seemed the objective should have been the Klavibrod bridge,
but it was a fake. The French drove directly towards the Kitaberg hills
(Pliševica hills), where a Landwehr comp. of Licca was entrenched.
The opponent column led by general Masséna broke the line forcing
the Liccaner commander, colonel Rebrovich, to take the leadership,
having lost the communications with Stojcevich. Rebrovich with the
main column and the guns withdrew till Zrmanja, the Kitaberg detachment
(captain Gerstorf) covered the main column retreat. One Liccaner comp.
was cut off; captain Hrabovsly retreated inside the Bosnian territory,
gathered other seven Grenzer comp. in rout along the Border and, forcing
marches, reached Gospić
on May 19.

In the Kitaberg clash
the Grenzers lost 700 men dead or missing and 300 wounded.

Rebrović placed
most of his troops, five infantry battalions (the 2 Licca operational
battalions, a Dalmatian Freikorps, 1 Otočac reserve battalion)
and the artillery in the center on left bank of Lika river at the Bilaj
bridge; to secure his right flank on the line Ribnik-Citluk-south of
Divoselo he placed the reserve battalion, 2 Licca land detachments
and local Landwehr defenders; left flank was secured at Barleta, north
of the Jadova stream with nine detachments and Otočac Landwehr.
Against the bulk of the Border Observation corps, protected by the
unfordable Lika river, Marmont placed his skirmishers (voltigeurs)
while moving the Clausel and Montrichard divisions in direction of
Barleta-Ostrovica-Budak, so threatening the left flank of the Border
corps and the road Gospić- Otočac, its main communication
line.

Noting the French move,
Rebrović moved his center across the Bilaj brigde and then, splitting
it in three columns, moved forward in order to capture the surrounding
hills, from which he planned to attack the French left flank. However
the crossing of Lika river took a long time and Marmont had enough
time to turn bache the Montrichard division in order to attack Bilaj.
In an hasty combat the French seized the central hill in front of Bilaj,
engaging parts of Clausel division in battle, and pushed back Austrian
Grenzers across the Lika river. According to French sources, the counterattackers
had around 200 dead and 800 wounded, including 3 generals, but captured
around 2000 Grenzers. According to Austrians sources, the Grenzers
lost 64 dead, around 500 wounded and 500 captured. In the meantime
the French 8th Light Regiment (division Clausel) crossed the Jadova
stream at Barleta and pushed back the weak Grenzer flank detachment,
when captain Hrabovski, who was in command of the Austrian flank, managed
to hold the advancing French south of Ostrovica, with the help of two
Banal reserve battalions, just arrived from reserve.

On the following day,
May 22, Rebrović reinforced his left flank at Ostrovica, so allowing
Hrabovski to deploy 4 regular and 2-3 irregular militia battalions
beside the Landwehr. At the same time Marmont moved, across the Jadova,
his 5th, 23rd and 81st regiments, with all his artillery, beginning
the final assault. The positions south of Ostrovica were bitterly held
by Grenzers and seized till the nightfall, despite of heavy casualties.
Under the cover of the darkness, the Austrian corps withdrew towards
Karlovać. French entered Gospić and marched northwards through
Otočac and Senj.

8 --- when the Corps was split in 2 lines in order to defend
one of the Barleta bridges (on the Jadava) and the other near Ribnik
(bridge on the Lika). Under the first “Treff” colonel
Rebrović sent his 700 armed peasants in the mountains (milice
from Liccaner and Otochaner people).

Here the corps was reinforced with 2 Reserve battalions of
the Banal regiments Glina and Petrinja (III battalions), from the
brig. Stojčević (Stojchevich).

- between Aspern and Wagram: 2 Batt. in the Brig. Rebrovich, Kolonne
Zach, IX Corps, 1 Batt. with Brig. Stojchevich - Stojčević,
detached from the Inner Austria army. Many Liccaner units were made
prisoners or marched in the mountains beginning their “kleine
krieg” as partisans.

In July the austrian general Peter Knezevich made a second attempt
to invade Dalmatia. He advanced with the Liccaner reserve battalion,
three comp. of the Liccaner Landwehr and one Serezaner Sqn. ( a total
of 4200 men). The expeditionary force, which aimed for Zara (Zadar),
had two lucky combats at Benkovac (July 23) and Zemonica (July 25).
At Benkovac the main “conquest” of the Liccaner was the
capture of 110 oxen. Then 1st Lieutenant Gobosac and captain
Čorić (both Liccaner) formed two small units (Streifabteilungen)
harassing the inner French lines of communication.

Recruitment District: upper area of the Carlstädter Generalat
and part of the Coast area.

Kapitanate: Zengg, Bründl, Otocac .

1809. (2 regular battalion, one Reserve or third battalion led by major
Nović). Inner Austria army.

- before Aspern:
it began the campaign with 2 Batt. in the Brig. Kalnássy,
Div. Wolfskehl, IX Corps – 3rd Batt. with Brig. Stojchevich,
Div. Knesevich, Inner Austria army in Dalmatia, with the combined
Landwehr battalion;

at Sacile, left
flank, fought the detachment of colonel Gyurkovich with 3 comp. Otoschaner.
The 1st and the 2nd battalion (the remaining 9 comp.) were in the vanguard
of the IX Corps. On May 2 they fought at Tavernolo and Ponte di Brenta.
At the Piave battle (May 8) they were in the brig. Marziani (not
Gavassini), IX Corps. There the 2nd Otoschaner battalion was sent ahead
in order to help the Brig. Kalnássy at bay. (For the reserve
battalion see campaign in Dalmatia under rgt. n.1).

- between Aspern
and Wagram: 1 battalion and 2/3 were in Carniola with Brig. Gavassini,
division Zach, Corps Ignaz Gyulai und Knesevich , the III reserve
battalion at the Graz battle, was employed to help the Brig. Munkácsy.
At St.Leonhard they were with the Brig. Kalnássy.

It began the war with the Brig. Kalnássy, Div. Görupp,
IX Corps. At the battle of Fontanafredda it was with brig. Marziani,
IX Corps and attacked the French on the banks of Livenza stream. The
reserve battalion with Brig. Stoichevich, Div. Knesevich in Dalmatia.

During the night (April
26-27) they entered Dalmatia. They marched in two columns (the first
led by Oguliner major Slivarich-Slivarić, the second under
the Otochaner major Novich - Nović) across the Velebit
against the left flank of the Marmont’s troops. The first attack
was not successful, then the battalion followed the fate of the Corps
Stojcevich (see rgt. n.1).

They advanced with the Frimont vanguard under their colonel Čivić,
fording the streams Guà and Chiampo, after Vicenza. During the
retreat they formed the army rearguard fighting at Olmo (May 2). On
May 8 (Piave battle) they were in the brig. Gavassini and three days
after they fought at San Michele. The two Ogulin comp. Modruš and
Jezerane, with the regiment’s artillery, defended the fortress
of Malborghetto under the Staff officers Cesar and Vučetić (and
the Engineer fortess commander Hensel). Then retreated
fighting at Tarvis.

- between Aspern and Wagram: the two line battalions marched with
the FML Franz von Jellačić division, Brigade GM Gajoli, VIII
Corps being at Raab without fights.

– they ended the war in the Brig. De Vaux, Div. Colloredo, VIII
Corps.

- before
Aspern: it began with the Brig. Kalnássy, Div. Görupp,
IX Corps. At Sacile they were in the vanguard Div. Frimont, Brig. Kleinmayer,
IX Corps. After the retreat they fought at the Piave with heavy losses
having two comp. detached in the Belluno valley. On May 9 a detachment
under major Dumontet, with the two battalions, covered the brig. Kálnassy
retreat. The Pojer comp. defended the Predil fortress under Engineer
commander Hermann. Of this comp. it survived only a Feldwebel. Other
4 comp. were sent in Croatia to support the insurrection.

- between Aspern and Wagram: 1 Batt. was at Raab with the Brig. oberst
Siegenfeld, Div. FZM Davidovich. Another battalion was with Brig. Gavassini
at Graz and after that battle under the brig. Kalnássy, IX Corps
at the combat of St.Leonhard. Laibach (Ljubliana) and Leoben were defended
by detachments of Szluiner Landwehr (major Dumontet at Laibach). In
summer and till the end of the war the two line battalions gathered
under the Brig. Bianchi, detached in Preßburg (Bratislava).

Warasdiner (reg. of Varaždin counties - Croatia)

The Generalat (Generalship) of Varaždin was the first territory
to experiment the reform of Prince Joseph Friedrich of Saxony-Hildburghausen.
There was organized the first structural regiment and there the first
uniforms were assigned to the “Grenzers”.

The first regular formations of Varaždin participated in the
War of Austrian Succession (1740 -1748). They distinguished further
in the battle of Chotusitz, 1742, and Kesselsdorf, 1745, and in other
smaller clashes. In 1757 they also tried to imprison Friedrich II (Frederick
the Great) without succeeding.

The Grenzers penetrated in his room and they looted it also bringing
some flags (this fact, many years later was blamed by Adolf Hitler
to Ante Pavelic, leader Ustascia, referring it as a deceitful and reprehensible
action). Historically the regiments of Varaždin were two:

Varaždinsko križevačke krajiške pješačke
pukovnije br. 5

or regiment Kreuzer of Warasdin (Kreuzer or Kürüz in Hungarian
it was the territory of recruitment and it made reference to the crusaders
flags anti Islam).

Varaždinsko-đurđevačke krajiške pješačke
pukovnije br. 5

or regiment of Gjurgevatz or St. George (Warasdiner Sankt Georger
Regiment).

Such organization was actually maintained till 1809, with the exception
of the period of the French Revolutionary Wars (1793 -1798). The courage
and abnegation of the departments of Varaždin are evident in the
awards of the regiment: gold medal in 1790 and in 1809 as well as 41
silver medals to the single formations.

History: After the native reforms of the generalship of Varaždin
in 1745 the general Hildburgshausen divided the territory in two areas
of recruitment (1749) copying the structure of the old police units
of Varaždin. In 1756 it took the name by its owner or Inhaber,
the colonel Leylersberg, then returning to be the regiment of Varaždin.
From 1769 the unit had the number 64 of the Austrian infantry order
of battle and with the 1798 reform it received the official denomination
of: National Border regiment n.5.

Recruit. Distr.: western
part of the Warasdiner Generalat, Kapitanate Kopreinitz and Creuz
(Kürüz).

1809 (2 regular battalion, one Reserve or third battalion).
The reserve battalion was with the Brig. Szörenyi in Pest, Div. Lippa
under Alvinczy. The Landesbattalion (Landwehr) gave companies to the
combined units in Dalmatia and was with Brig. Khevenhüller, Reserve
Corps Zach.

- before Aspern: two line battalions were under the VI Corps FML baron
Johann von Hiller early with Brig. Provenchères, Div.
Jellacich, seizing the Bavaria capital city, Munich.

From May 1 till 20, the two line battalions (Brig. Legisfeld, Div.
Jellachich) defended pass Lueg near Salzburg.

- before Wagram: the gathered three battalions were in reserve with
Division FML Jellacich, Brigade GM Lutz at the time of the Raab battle..

History: after the 1745 Generalat’s reform the delegate general
Hildburghausen organized, in 1749, the Varaždinsko-đurđevačka
krajiška pješačka pukovnija or St. George
regiment. Its first commander and Inhaber, from 1749, was the “pukovnik”,
then general (General-Feld-Wachtmeister) Nicolaus Freiherr von Kengyel.
In the year 1754 its owner was the general (GFWM) Sigmund Benvenuto
count Petazzi, and after a couple of years, in 1756, the general Joseph
Philipp count Guicciardi. With the 1769 Reform the regiment assumed
the number 65 of the Austrian army. In 1798 it had the name of National
Border regiment n. 6 recruiting in the areas of the Varazdin generalship,
and especially in the territories of Đurđevac and
Ivanić. The HQ was actually in Đurđevac till
1758 and then it was transferred to Bjelovar.

Recruit. Distr.: eastern
area of the Warasdiner Generalats, Kapitanate Ivanich and St. George.

1809 (2 regular battalion, one Reserve or third battalion)
the reserve battalion originally with the Brig. Szörenyi in Pest,
Div. Lippa under Alvinczy.

- before Aspern: the
two line battalions were with the Avantgarde Nordmann (II Wing) advancing
from Ach till the river Salza. Div. Vincent, VI Corps. On
April 21, at Moosburg, one battalion tried to stop the advance of Masséna. During
the battle of Abensberg two companies were in the detachment of major
von Scheibler, VI Corps, and the remaining units with Nordmann. During
the folowing retreat (battle of Landshut) with Nordmann rearguard (left
wing) remained only 4 companies, the others detached or missing. At
Neumarkt they were the avant-garde (Nordmann) of the 3rd column (left
wing). The same unit (again in the left wing) was also at Ebelsberg.
Before Aspern the avant-garde Nordmann was part of the Div. Kottulinsky,
VI Corps.

- at Aspern: they passed in the right army wing with the
1st Column FML Hiller, Brig. Nordmann, Div. Kottulinsky, VI Corps,
but also acting as an independent brigade. The two battalions had no
more than 544 men in total.

- at Wagram: the VI
Corps was under count FZM Klenau (interim commander for FML baron Hiller)
and the two line battalions in the Div. Vincent, Brig. August Vécsey.

- after Wagram: a remaining
battalion was in the Brigade GM count Wallmoden-Gimborn, Div. Vincent,
VI Corps at Wolframitzkirchen – not participating at the Znaim
battle.

The Serežani
(Seressaner)

Serežani wore folk costumes,
or a kind of folk uniforms because the clothes had not officially been
prescribed. However, basically there was a sort of uniformity of appearance
in suits called “serežanskih way”, which differed
only in details. The suits were made within home cooperatives. Material
for making clothes consisted of wool, flax and hemp, mastered by women
in order to obtain cloth and linen. To create “serežani” suits
the Generalat gave an annual cash fund. The suits consisted of: robe
or cloak, hats, shirts, vests, short jackets, belts to carry weapons,
pants, socks and shoes or
“nazuvaka”.[10]

Serežani wore clothes in shades of red, green, blue,
white, brown and black. The mantle, or cloak was usually brown or
dark red, made of homespun, and sometimes decorated with a stylized
application of felt and trimmings. It consisted of a jacket with
a collar and a hood, and the
“zakopčavala”, laces under the throat. According to
the cloak, from which the Military Border guards had been known up
to that time anywhere in war, it caused them some nicknames, such as “Crvenohaljetci” or “Crveni
kapucini”, red caps, which were pronounced with fear. Bag shaped
hat, with an extended lateral part, was also made of red cloth or baize.
Hats were sometimes wrapped in striped scarf or towel. In winter, was
worn a fur with a red bag Kalpaka.

Slavonians

Slavonia (Croatian: Slavonija, Hungarian: Szlavónia, Latin:
Sclavonia) is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia.
It is a fertile agricultural and forested lowland bounded, in part,
by the Drava river in the north, the Sava river in the south,
and the Danube river in the east.

The Slavonian Military Frontier or Slavonian Krajina was part of the
Habsburg Military Frontier. It was formed out of territories the Habsburgs
conquered from the Ottoman Empire and included southern parts of Slavonia and
Syrmia; today the area it covered is mostly in eastern Croatia, with
its easternmost parts in Vojvodina, Serbia.

During history borders of Slavonian Krajina has been changed few times.
Shortly after creation in the 1500s Slavonian Krajina bordered the
Ottoman Empire to the east, the Kingdom of Croatia (part of the Habsburg
Empire) and Croatian Krajina to the west, and the Kingdom of Hungary,
also part of the Habsburg Empire, to the north. After the Treaty of
Karlowitz, the expanded Slavonian Krajina bordered the Kingdom of Croatia,
Croatian Military Frontier to the west, the Kingdom of Hungary to the
north, the Banat Military Frontier to the east and the Ottoman province
of Bosnia to the south.

Slavonski military district was one of the last areas of the Military
Border, where the reorganization was implemented in regular regiments.
In 1747 it was abolished the old structure of the Sava, Danube and
Srijemski border and the whole area converted into three large districts
with seats in Gradiska, Brod and Petrovaradin. This was the beginning
of the establishing of regular regiments, which Vice Marshal von Engelshofen
began in 1750. He wanted to form three regiments with two battalions
of five Companies. Each regiment was supposed to count 5600 soldiers,
and the entire military district was to raise 16,800 infantry men.
The Slavonian Krajina was divided between three districts, named after
cities in the area: Gradiška, Brod, and Petrovaradin; however,
the regimental seat of the Brod regiment was in Vinkovci.

However, after the original organization it followed an utter reorganization
by FML count Serbelloni, who, in 1752-1753, gave the final shape of
the regiments. Each regiment had four battalions with four companies
of 240 troops and two battalions of 120 elite soldiers - grenadiers.
Later, in 1769, the grenadiers were replaced with the
“oštrostrijelcima” (Sharpshooters).

In 1776, the rural population of the Slavonian military frontier was
177,212. The number of Roman Catholic men was 43,635 and 33,970 were
Orthodox. The number of inhabitants of cities was 11,353, and that
giving a total of 188,565 inhabitants.

In Brod and Gradiška regiments Catholics outnumbered the Orthodox,
and in Petrovaradin regiment the Orthodox were more numerous. The 1790
population census recorded 388,000 Serbs and 325,000 Croats, while
the religious structure was 52.1% Catholic and 46.8% Orthodox.

The courage and sacrifice of Slavonian Frontiersmen are witnessed
by the 5 gold and 94 silver medals for bravery gained, from 1790 till
1809, by members of some units of Slavonski Generalat.

The city of Slavonski Brod, Croatia, which was an important strategic
and traffic center controlling the border crossing towards Turkey and
connecting main commercial trails at the time, in the period between
1715-1780 Austria built the large imperial and royal border Fortress
of Brod on the Sava River, which along with the fortified baroque towns
of Slavonia, namely Osijek and Stara Gradiška, belongs to the
great defense system on the border towards the Turkish Empire, designed
by the prince Eugene of Savoy in the first half of the 18 century.

It was constructed by peasants of the Military Border under forced
labor more specifically 634 a day, who also gave 53 horse-drawn carts
daily for the transport of material. The regular star-like form of
the fortress was determined by the flat-country. It was built of rammed
earth, bricks, wood and partially stone, and designed for the accommodation
of 4.000 soldiers, mostly infantry and 150 cannons. From 1747
the new regulations of Slavonian Krajina had its eighth of the eleven
Border Regiment in Croatian and Slavonia territories. Till 1764 the
regiment was divided into 4 battalions, each battalion had 4 companies.
That year changed the internal structure of the regiment (reduced the
number of soldiers). The regiment had then three battalions, 2 had
6, and the third (depot) 4 companies. This organization was common
to all Slavonian units.

Organized
in 1747 – disbanded in 1873

Depot Kader HQ

Vinkovci

Commander oberst

count Hugo Eltz

Gabriel von Milletich
(Miletić)

Oberstleutnant

Gabriel von Milletich
(Miletić)

Majors

Jakob von Filipović (Philippovich)

Jepht. von Rasković

1810 Staff

Gabriel von Milletich
(Miletić)

Oberstleutnant

Jakub von Pavlić (Paulich)

History: The first owner (Inhaber) of the regiment in 1750 was artillery
General Friedrich Sigmund Gaisruck, while, from 1754 to 1765, he was
replaced with artillery general Anton Ignaz-Mercy Argenteau.

Facts. The regiment was divided into 12 Companies: 1. Podvin, 2. Trnjane,
3. Garčin, 4. Andrijevci, 5. Sikirevci, 6. Babina Greda, 7. Ivankovo,
8. Cerna, 9. Vinkovci, 10. Nijemci, 11. Županja and 12. Drenovci.
Each Company had its villages, for example the Vinkovačka Company
n. 9 had under its command the villages of Laze, Mirkovci, old and
new Jankovci Orolik, Zadar, Vinkovci and Slakovci.

Recruiting District: Kapitanate Brčka, Illok.

1809: (2 regular battalion, one Reserve or third battalion).

- in Bavaria, before Aspern: it began the campaign with the “reconnaissance” Brigade
GM baron Josef Mesko de Felsö-Kubinyi (Mesko Brig.), Division
FML Emmanuel von Schustekh, V Corps archduke Louis. During the Abensberg
battle the two line battalions advanced with the Division FML prince
Henri XV Reuss-Plauen Column, 8 companies detached under FML von Schustekh,
4 comp. with Mesko. The Schustekh Detachment had an hard battle at
Kloster Rohr. At Neumarkt they (Brig. Mesko) were the 2nd avant-garde
column. After the bloody battle of Ebelsberg (May 8 a third of Batt.
in the Avant-garde Nordmann, VI Corps) with FML von Schustekh remained
two weak comp. (142 men). They were sent with the Détachement
GM von Scheibler (watching the main road Schärding – Linz)

History: the city of Nova Gradiška was founded in 1748. It
had been founded because of Vojna krajina (Soldatensiedlung der
Grenzgarnison Nr. 8) and was first named as Friedrichsdorf. With
the army in the newly established village Friedrichsdorf did come the
civilian population, especially craftsmen and merchants. Their arrival
precipitated the declaration of Nova Gradiska as
"free army Municipality”. Since then, its residents
were not subject to more Border commitment, and had population
rapidly growing . In the village there are more traders and craftsmen,
and they appear and the first craft associations. First tradesmen
come in Nova Gradiska were: one Meisch, immigrant from Austria,
maybe the first civilian resident, with him came the baker and
blacksmith named Frank Gansnek. The traders came from neighboring Cernik,
who was part of the county Požega. According to some information
about Nova Gradiska in 1762 the military had 39 military, 70 civil
town houses and 11 "bolti" - big stores. On 1776 was performed
the first census in the city: of 366 residents, 70 were craftsmen.

Reforming the defences along the Sava River FML Engleshofen formed
in 1747 the Slavonia and Krajina Gradiska regiment. In 1753 the regiment
was reorganized and named Gradiska Krajina Infantry Regiment, and in
1769 had the serial number 67. From an utter reform it received the
serial number 8. The regiment was raised with part of the border territory
along the Sava river, which belonged to the former
“Kapitanat” Kobas. Regiment command initially was in Bogoševcima
and later in the town of Gradiška.

- before Aspern: the
two line battalion began the campaign in the Avant-garde Brigade GM count
Josef Radetzky, Div. Schustekh, V Corps archduke Louis. On April 16
the Scharfschützen (sharpshooters) of the Rgt. took position among
the Landshut houses. By 2 PM GM Radetzky launched his attack against
the bridges, defended by the Bavarians, with a column of two Gradiskaner
comp., 30 sharpshooters, 30 pioneers and a wing of hussars led by 1st
Lieutenant Tkalčević. Staff captain baron Simbschen led other
4 comp. of the regiment, widening the occupation of the town of Seligenthal.
Finally colonel von Greth led his 10 companies against the flank of
the bavarian general Deroi and won the battle.

After the unlucky battle
of Abensberg the two battalion remained with Radetzky in rearguard tasks.
During the second Landshut battle they were in the 1st Rearguard Brig.
Radetzky (left wing), fighting also at Neumarkt and in the retreat
beyond the river Isar. At Ebelsberg they were in the rearguard under
Division GM baron Carl Vincent, Brig. Radetzky, distinguishing themselves
in that bloody day at Kleinmünchen and Blindenmarkt. The sharpshooter
comp. of Čvetić stopped the advance of the Po and Corsican
Tirailleurs at the bridge.

Before Aspern they
were deployed: one battalion with Radetzky rearguard at Gaspoltshofen,
Div. Schustekh; the other with Brigade GM chevalier Adrian Joseph Reinwaldt von
Waldegg at Schwanenstadt. (on May 10 at Krems bridge). They went not
to Aspern and Wagram.

- after Wagram: they were reached by the third reserve battalion in the
V Corps FML prince Reuss-Plauen, Div. Weissenwolff, Brig. GM count
Klebelsberg, deploying behind the town of Znaim.

Serbo-Slavonians of Syrmia

The
majority of the Serbian population in Croatia and Slavonia were included
into the organization of the Military Border. After the Lower
Slavonia had been liberated from the Ottomans, the new parts of the
Border were formed in 1701 and 1702: on the Sava, the Danube, and the
Theiss-Maros military districts. [12]

The whole area between the Kupa and the Una was also re-conquered
in this war. The Banal Border was enlarged and dominated by the ruler,
while a great part of it was subordinated to the Bishop of Zagreb and
the Kaptol. The Emperor gave land to the population to use it only
for acquiring soldiers in return, with the Croatian Ban as a commander.
The Croatian Council (the Sabor) took part in re-conquering the areas
between the Kupa and the Una. At that time, Croatian help was needed
by Vienna for the uprising in Hungary (the insurrection of Rakoczy
1703-1711), so that the Ban was appointed a commander by the Court.
Since 1703 the Banal Border has been subjugated to the Hofkriegsrat
(War Council) in Vienna. All the hinterland was assigned to the Hofkammer
and županije (counties).

The Serbs were not assigned privileges as a political community, but
as a religious one,and so their position depended on the position of
the church in general. The on-coming era of enlightened absolutism
meant decline of the influence of the church in favour of the state.
Therefore, the legal position of the Serbs based on privileges was
getting weaker. [13]

Later the "Wallachian privileges" disappeared, the frontiersmen
were exposed to severe regulations, while those in the Provintial [14]were
reduced to the peasant status. Within the Border the Serbs could reach
higher military positions, while in the Provintial they could not participate
in the “županija” political bodies.

During the First Serbian Uprising (1804-1813) the Serbs from both
sides of the Border were bound together in the joint attempt to overthrow
the Ottoman rule over Serbia, so that for the first time in the history
of the Serbs in Habsburg Monarchy the question of their loyalty to
the Emperor was set. Then (1809) came the French rule in the Balkans.

History: Petrovaradin Fortress (Hungarian: Péterváradi
vár, German: Peterwardein) is a fortress near Novi Sad, Serbia.
It is located in the province of Vojvodina, on the right bank of the
Danube river. The cornerstone of the present-day southern part
of the fortress was laid on October 18, 1692, by Charles Eugène
de Croÿ. Petrovaradin Fortress has many underground tunnels
as well (16 km of underground countermine system). The first
larger fortifications were created with the arrival of the Romans
who built the fortress (Cusum) which was a part of the fortified
borders (Limes) along the Danube. The turning point in the history
of the area came in 1235 when King Bela IV of Hungary brought
a group of the Order of Cistercians from France. This order of
monks built the monastery Belakut upon the remains of the Roman
fortress of Cusum. The walls of this monastery were built between
1247 and 1252 and represent the fortifications at this site during
the Middle Ages.

Syrmia - Sremska Mitrovica. After the final expulsion of Turks from Srem,
Mitrovica came, under the provisions of the Peace Treaty of Pozarevac
in 1718. under the Austrian rule. Until the year 1745, it formed
a part of estates of the counts Colloredo and Pejačevic and afterwards
it belonged to the Military Border of Srem as the seat of the
headquarters of the regiment of Petrovaradin and of the Srem brigade
for some time also as a free commune of the Military Border. Its Serbian
population was formed for the most part of immigrants from Serbia
an Bosnia and the Catholic population consisted of Croats
from the surroundings of Dubica and of Germans coming from various
parts of the German Empire, firstly from the province of Hesse. When
it had been proclaimed a Border community, in 1765, it opened still
wider the doors to immigrants, particularly artisans and tradespeople
(Aromuns); therefore its population was constantly increasing
and its economy, chiefly the trade, in permanent progress.

- before Aspern: they
began the campaign in the III Corps Hohenzollern, Avant-garde
Div. baron Philipp Vukassovich, Brigade GM prince Moritz Liechtenstein.
At the battle of Teugen-Hausen only the first battalion remained with
Liechtenstein at Bachel, while the 2nd
battalion was with Brig. Pfanzelter under the colonel Leuthner and
engaged the enemy inside the Teugen forest. The regiment gathered on
the Waldspitz, while 3 comp. under major Golubovich covered the flank.
At Abensberg the two line battalion still in different brigades received
the central ram of the French attack and withdrew northwards. At Eggmühl
they were 1 battalion and half again with Div. Vukassovich, III Corps,
Brig. Moritz Liechtenstein.

After the retreat in
Bohemia they were assigned to the Div. marquis Hannibal Sommariva,
III Corps Kollowrath (defence of Bohemia), the 1st battalion with the detachment
colonel von Leuthner, the 2nd with the detachment major Emerich Zaborsky
de Zabora and fought the battle of Urfahr-Linz. The two battalions
were successively attached to the Division marquis Hannibal Sommariva,
Brigade GM comte Carl Crenneville. They did not participate at Aspern
and Wagram.

After the wars against
the Turks there was also the necessity to organize the border (or Cordon)
with the Ottoman empire and particularly the border between the Kupa
and the Sava rivers, the so-called Banal Grenz (Banska). On the military
model of the Slavonia, then the Croatian Ban Count Karol Batthiányi
raised, in 1750, two infantry regiments drawn by the areas of Petrinja
and the Banal Border, along with a regiment of Grenzer cavalry.

The first regiment
Banal was recruited west in the area of Glina, the second regiment
came from the east or the areas of Petrinja and Dubička. The structure
of every regiment was on four battalions with four companies (satnije)
of 240 soldiers, with two more companies of 120 selected soldiers or
grenadiers. After the 1769 reform, the grenadiers were replaced by
the sharpshooters (Scharfschützen), every regiment counted 4080
among soldiers, noncommissioned officers and officers. The two regiments
began to have the name of their owner, the Ban of Croatia, serving
in their ranks, above all, officers drawn by the local nobility. They
were directly placed side by side the other Croatian regiments and
submitted to the command of the Croatian Council of war. The
courage of the Banal Grenzers is manifest by the award gained from
1790 till 1809: 3 gold and 12 silver medals.

The title of ban persisted
in Croatia after 1527 when the country became part of the Habsburg
Monarchy, and continued all the way until 1918. Between the most distinguished
bans in Croatian history were the two Erdödys: Toma Erdödy,
great warrior and statesman in one person, and Ivan Erdödy, whom
Croatia owes much for protecting her rights against the Hungarian nobility,
his mostly known words in Latin are “Regnum regno non praescribit
leges”, “a kingdom may not impose laws to a(nother) kingdom”.

The Banal Border was
always very vulnerable. Areas of Glina and Petrinja were ruled mainly
by the Catholic Church and the military skills were poor. Who decided
to do the soldier (defenders against Turks) had some privileges, but
the social texture was various. For example a misunderstandings about
the status of Petrinja lasted until 1753. The “Petrinjski” soldiers
since 1689 enjoyed of the bishop's possessions along Mošćenice
stream, and of the estates received from the Bishop of Zagreb, who
gave them as own and for which they were not obliged to pay any
tax. Furthermore, the paid German army was dissolved in Petrinja and
remained only lightly armed and poorly trained unpaid soldiers, the
Border (Krajina) Guards, which would have not been able to successfully
remove a stronger enemy like Turks.

In 1753 Petrinja was
committed for the “Banska Krajina”
when they began to build the Petrinja fortress and forming the settlements
of Petrinja and Glina. Starting from the first house built outside
the fort, soon Petrinja has five hundred Catholic houses. In 1765 Petrinja
was proclaimed a military district and its magistrates left the place
to the military officers.

History: 1st regiment born in 1749, but it was officially recognized
only in the 1750. The Croatian Ban, of the time, count Karol Batthiányi,
organized it in the territories of Banal border. In the reforms of
the Austrian army of 1769 the regiment had the number 69, and in the
1798 following reform it got the new denomination of
"Regiment of infantry of the National Military Border" with
the new number 10. After 1809, when Austria surrendered at Schönbrunn,
the 1st regiment Banal Grenz was given by the Austrians to the service
of France.

1809 (2 regular
battalion, one Reserve or third battalion). Reservedivision : with Stojčević,
in Dalmatia, detached from the Inner Austria army, with the Landwehr
(combined Carlstädter-Varasdiner-Banal Landesbataillon). The III
reserve battalion was at the battle of Gospić.

The two line battalions entered the campaign with VIII Corps (marquis
Chasteler) then Albert Gyulai, with the 2nd Division FML Frimont, Brig.
GM von Wetzel. The II battalion under the colonel von Božić fought
at Pordenone - Rorai Grande. At Sacile 10 comp. of the avant-garde
von Wetzel were the vanguard of the VIII corps, while 2 comp. were
sent along the Tolmezzo road. After the retreat they were at the Piave
battle with Brig. GM Gajoli, Div. and VIII Corps Albert Gyulai.

- between Aspern and Wagram: the 1st battalion was at Raab with Div. FML
Franz Jellačić, Brigade GM Sebottendorf.

- at Wagram: in reserve with the Division FML Jellacich,
Brigade GM Lutz, was major Benjaković with a combined (remnants)
Banal battalion (Glina) and the 2nd Banal (Petrinja) led by major Vasquez.

1809 (2 regular
battalion, one Reserve or third battalion). Reservedivision : with Stojčević,
in Dalmatia, detached from the Inner Austria army, with the Landwehr
(combined Carlstädter-Varasdiner-Banal Landesbataillon). The III
reserve battalion was at the battle of Gospić.

The two line battalions entered the campaign with VIII Corps (marquis
Chasteler) then Albert Gyulai, with the 2nd Division FML Frimont, Brig.
GM. Freiherr von Schmiedt. On April 11 one battalion fought
at Venzone. At Pordenone they were in the right wing of the VIII Corps
in the Brig. GM Gajoli (but in effects they were still part of the
first column GM Schmiedt, while the third column GM von Wetzel had
4 comp. of Banalisten. Gajoli took the command of one battalion only during
the Porzia’s attack, battle of Sacile). At Sacile one battalion was
in the detachment of Oberstlieutenant Volkmann (cover and support of
the right army flank). The 1st battalion fought at Ronche. At the end
of the battleday Gajoli and Volkmann reunited the regiment marching
to Sacile.

After the retreat the two battalions (Brig. Schmiedt) covered the
left flank. On May 4 near Bassano they were attacked and repulsed,
being later sent to the Tirol’s units. 1 battalion was with the Brigade
GM baron Franz Philipp Fenner von Fenneberg, 4 comp. with Brigade GM baron Peter Ignaz Marschal von Perclat.

- between Aspern and Wagram: also with the Brig. Buol, detached from
Corps Chasteler. after ending the campaign with Brig. Bianchi, Div.
Frimont . At the Graz clash the main Corps (left
Mur bank) FML Gyulai - FML Knezevich comprised the Brigade Munkácsy
with the III battalion reserve Banal and the Landwehr battalion provincial
Banal.

- at Wagram: in reserve with the Division FML Jellacich, Brigade GM
Lutz, the 2nd Banal (Petrinja) led by major Vasquez. Some sources refer
the two battalions, which had been at Graz, with the Brig. De Best,
Div. Jellachich, Inner Austria army (rearguard). Later were with theBrig.
Pásztory, Inner Austria army.

Banat (one German - one Romanian)

The term "banat" or
"banate" designated a frontier province led by a military
governor or ban. In the 17th century, parts of the Banat were incorporated
into the Habsburg Monarchy of Austria. In 1716, Prince Eugene of Savoy
took the last parts of the Banat from the Ottomans. It received the
title of the Banat of Temeswar after the Treaty of Passarowitz (1718),
and remained a separate province in the Habsburg Monarchy under military
administration until 1751, when Empress Maria Theresa of Austria introduced
a civil administration. The Banat of Temeswar province was abolished
in 1778. The southern part of the Banat region remained within the
Military Frontier (Banat Krajina) until the Frontier was abolished
in 1871.

Maria Theresa also took a great interest in the Banat; she colonized
the region with large numbers of German peasants, encouraged the exploitation
of the mineral wealth of the country, and generally developed the measures
introduced by Mercy d’Argenteau. German settlers arrived from
Swabia, Alsace and Bavaria, as well as people from Austria. Many settlements
in the eastern Banat thus were mostly German-inhabited. The ethnic
Germans in the Banat region became known as the Danube Swabians, or
Donauschwaben. Some of them, coming from French-speaking or linguistically
mixed communes in Lorraine, maintained the French language for several
generations, and developed a specific ethnic identity, later labelled
as Banat French, Français du Banat. Hungarians were not allowed
to settle in the Banat during this colonization period.

In 1779, the Banat region was incorporated back into Habsburg Kingdom
of Hungary, and the three counties Torontál, Temes and Krassó were
created.

According to 1774 data, the population of the Banat of Temeswar numbered
375,740 people and was composed of:

* 220,000 (58.55%) Romanians

* 100,000 (26.61%) Serbs and Greeks

* 53,000 (14.11%) Germans

* 2,400 (0.64%) Hungarians and Bulgarians

* 340 (0.09%) Jews

The Military Border region or the Banat Krajina was divided into Serbian
(Illyrian), German (Volksdeutscher) and Romanian (Vlach) sections.
This part of the Military Frontier bordered the Principality of Serbia
to the south, Voivodship of Serbia and Tamiš Banat to the north,
Transylvania and Wallachia to the east, and the Slavonian
Military Frontier to the west. The Banat Krajina also included the
south-eastern part of Bačka region, known as Šajkaška.

History: the Military Border territory was organized in 1718, but
only with the Maria Theresia Reform of 1750, Austria did a unambiguous
division between the civil Temescher Banat and the militarized area.

In 1751, the northern parts of the province were placed under civil
administration, while the southern parts (including Pančevo) were
included into Military Frontier (Banat Krajina). During this time the
Habsburg administration encouraged massive immigration of German settlers
to develop the land. Soon the town of Pančevo was divided into
two municipalities: one Serb, one "German". According to
the 1767 data, the population of the Serb municipality numbered 424
families, while the population of the German municipality numbered
132 families. According to the 1787 data, the population of the city
was composed of 3,506 Orthodox Christians and 2,005 Roman Catholics.
The city was briefly restored to Ottoman administration from 1787 to
1788. In 1794, Serb and German municipality were joined into one.

Facts: The 12th Grenz District (Kapitanat) had 12 compagnies with
barracks (Standorten) at:

before Aspern: it began the campaign with IV Corps Rosemberg, Div.
Sommariva, avant-garde Brig. Stutterheim, with which was in the 2nd
Column at Teugen and in the centre at Abensberg, then left wing at
Eggmühl. After the retreat in Bohemia it was attached to
the autonomous Brigade GM Paul von Radivojevich, formally part of the
III Corps (Kollowrath), sent to the Bohemian Border from Eisenstein
till Eger. The remnants of the two line battalion were with the detachment
of oberst count Wenzel Sporck (commander of the 1st Časlau Landwehr
battalion). They remained in Bohemia till the armistice.

History: Was founded in 1767. Since its establishment,
the regiment had several names: - in 1769: N. 72 Border Regiment. -
in 1775: Border Regiment Romanian-Illyrian - in 1798: Wallachian-Illyrian
Border Regiment n. 13 - in 1838: Wallachian-Banat Border Regiment n.
13 - in 1849: Rumenian-Banat Border Regiment n. 13. The area had undergone
many stages of organization, and ultimately include: Bistra Valley,
from village Marga till Caransebes, the Timis-Cerna corridor (with
adjacent valleys) from Orsova to the village Sviniţa; the Banatean
Krajina till the Almaj valley, from village Prigor to village Lăpuşnicul
Mare.

In peacetime the regiment was organized on 12 companies having a variable
number of common frontier-guards. The training of the border guards
were made as follows:

- recruits for three years in Caransebes

- reservists with training sessions on Sundays and holidays.

Border Watch Service - each military border company (grănicereasca)
received a variable number of guard outposts on the border
– the soldiers stood eight days in the watching-stations, according
to a schedule made by the company commander. Postal service was at
Caransebes, Marga, Bistra Valley and the Timis-Cerna corridor (Slatina
Teregova, Cornea, and Orsova) - military post was held by couriers
on horseback. Health Service - at the regimental military hospital
of Caransebes - the regiment had a regimental chief doctor, two main
doctors, four secondary doctors and surgeons, 8 physicians - at each
company there was a doctor and a nurse.

In the 104 years of the regiment’s life, it gave 25 generals,
over 200 senior officers, a large number of junior officers and NCOs.
Over 40 men were awarded for acts of bravery. The flag of the regiment
did have the following medals: 10 gold, 31 silver Class 1 and 36 2nd
class silver.

Recruit. Distr.: eastern Banat. the Karansebes regiment was partially
recruited in the german Banat and had some “grenz” fortresses
in its area: Mehadia, Orsova and Bosovich. It recruited from the kapitanate:
Weisskirchen (Fejértemplom) siege of a battalion, Schupanek,
Teregova, Töplic, Vár, Mezerich or Möserich.

1809 (2 regular battalion, one Reserve or third battalion)

before Aspern: The two line battalion began the campaign with the troops
detached to the blockade of Passau (Oberhaus fortress) Division FML
baron Franz von Dedovich, Brigade GM Paul von Radivojevich, IV Corps
Rosenberg. After the retreat the division was ordered to watch the
Danube left bank (northern) and the two battalions were in the detached
Brig. oberst Grätze, at the Ebelsberg battle and finally sent
alog the road Linz - Schärding.

- at Aspern : the Brigade oberst Grätze was in the avant-garde
Division FML prince Victor de Rohan (IV Corps or 5th Column Rosenberg).
The two battalion had around 1300 men.

- at Wagram: colonel Grätze led the Banaters in the avant-garde
of the left wing, Division Nordmann, Brigade GM baron Peter von Vécsey.
After the battle they retreated with the II Corps Hohenzollern, reached
Znaim and deployed behind the cavalry reserve (Division FML baron Ulm,
Brigade GM Hardegg).

Transylvanian Border (Siebenbürgen)

The Székely military Border

The Széklers or Székels (Hun. Székely, Lat. Siculi),
were a Transylvanian people of Ugro-Finnic origins, similar to the
Magyars, about 450.000 fellows who colonized the area between Kronstadt
(south) and Maros-Vasarhely - Gyergö St Miklos (north). A legend
told they were sent there by St. Ladislaus in order to watch the Border
against Muslims. The name Szèkel would come from szék
(chair – siege or the equivalent of the German word Stuhl of
the Transylvanian Saxons). The hungarian Székely, therefore,
would only mean “Border sentinel”.

The Székely were considered the finest warriors of medieval
Transylvania. They were part of the Unio Trium Nationum ("Union
of Three Nations") [20],
a coalition of the three Transylvanian Estates, the other two nations
being the (also predominantly Hungarian) nobility and the “Saxon” (that
is, ethnic German) burghers. These three nations ruled Transylvania,
usually in harmony though sometimes in conflict with one another.

Their origin has been much debated; it is, however, now generally
accepted that they are true Hungarians (or at least the descendants
of a Magyarized Turkic peoples), transplanted there to guard the frontier,
their name meaning simply “frontier guards”. Their organization
was of the Turkic type, and they are probably of Turkic stock. There
is historical evidence that the Székely were part of the Avar
confederation during the so-called Dark Ages, but this does not mean
that they are ethnically Avar. By the 11th century they had adopted
the Hungarian language.

The Sun and Moon are the symbols of the Székely, and are used
in the coat of arms of Transylvania and on the Romanian national coat
of arms. The Sun and Moon symbols represented proto-Hungarian gods.
After the Hungarians became Christians in the 11th century, the importance
of these icons became purely visual and symbolic. Their original religious
significance was lost.

In 1762, Empress Maria Theresa decided to set up border troops on
the frontier of Transylvania, based on the Military Frontier system
already in place on the Ottoman border area. Mostly Romanians were
recruited in the Southern Carpathians (Fogaras area) and Székelys
in the Eastern Carpathians. The drafting was organised partly on voluntary,
partly on compulsory basis, and resulted in conflicts in many places,
especially in Székely Land. The Székelys requested that
instead of the imperial officers, they have their own leaders according
to the traditions, and that they are not ordered to go in action abroad.

As the negotiations failed with the army, Székelys openly protested
and some of the Seats contacted each other to start co-ordinated actions.
As the drafting was only partly successful, the chief officer responsible
for the recruitment gave up his plans and ordered that the so far distributed
weapons are returned by the Székelys. They, however, gave back
only part of the equipment and kept the rifles as a compensation for
the weapons confiscated after the Rákóczi Uprising.

The next, already violent attempt by the imperial officers to recruit
Székely border soldiers culminated in a tragic event, the Mádéfalva
Massacre, commemorated until today. In December 1763, the men sought
refuge from drafting in the mountains, at Mádéfalva (Romanian:
Siculeni), some of them equipped with weapons. On 7 January, 1764,
an army unit of 1300 soldiers, with two cannons, attacked the peaceful
crowd and massacred hundreds of them. The drafting in Székely
Land was quickly and easily completed after these events. Border troops
were set up in every Seat except for Udvarhely and Maros Seat.

After the Mádéfalva Massacre, many Székelys crossed
the Carpathians and escaped to Moldova. Those who stayed in the Moldavian
Voivodate, became one of the subgroups of Csángó people.
Others moved to the Bukovina Region and founded their final settlements
with the help of General András Hadik. This group retained their
traditions and are regarded to as the Székelys of Bukovina.

The Military Frontier Organisation put an end to the autonomy of the
Székely Nation in some respects. The self governance of the
settlements was seriously hurt by the border guard commanders. They
interfered with the election of judges, the local agriculture and schooling,
also with the every-day life of the Székely guards. Property
transactions or weddings could be done only with the permission of
the officers. In local communities, however, many of the traditions
were kept, the Székely pride and their strong desire for freedom
remained. They organised their own life, set rules for the building
of roads and bridges, also for the election of their leaders and jury
members. (Most of these issues were decided by landlords in the noble
counties.) The ancient system of redistributing common lands was still
a practice by the end of the 18th century, but ceased to exist in a
couple of decades.

History: Miercurea-Ciuc (Hungarian: Csíkszereda,
German: Szeklerburg) is the county seat of Harghita County, Romania.
It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern
Transylvania. The town is situated on the banks of the river Olt, at
the foot of the Nagysomlyó Mountain (1033m).

History: Târgu Secuiesc (Hungarian: Kézdivásárhely;
German: Szekler Neumarkt; Latin: Neoforum Siculorum) is a city in Covasna
county, Transylvania, Romania. The town was first mentioned in 1407
as Torjawasara, meaning in Hungarian
“Torja Market”. Originally, the Hungarian name Kézdivásárhely
was also used in Romanian in the form Chezdi-Osorheiu, but this was
altered to Tîrgu Secuiesc (now spelled Târgu Secuiesc).

The
name Wallachia, generally not used by Romanians themselves (but present
in some contexts as Valahia or Vlahia), is derived from the ethnonym
Valach, a word used originally by Germanic peoples to designate their
Romance-speaking neighbours, or foreigners in general, and subsequently
taken over by Slavic-speakers to refer to Romanians, with variants
such as Vlach, Blach, Bloc, Bloh, Boloh.

In effect the Military Wallachian Border was that of the Transylvania
area in which there were no Szekelys. The Transylvania (Romanian: Ardeal;
Hungarian: Erdély; German: Siebenbürgen) is a historical
region in the central part of Romania, at the time on the Ottoman Border.

The Habsburgs acquired the territory shortly after the Battle of Vienna
in 1683. The Habsburgs, however, probably recognized the Hungarian
sovereignty over Transylvania (it is not certain), while the Transylvanians
recognized the sovereignty of the Habsburg emperor Leopold I (1687),
and the region was officially attached to the Habsburg Empire, separated
in all but name from Habsburg controlled Hungary and subjected to the
direct rule of the emperor's governors. The Kuruc Rebellion (1703-1711)
separated Transylvania from the Austrian lands; However, Habsburg sovereignty
was again recognized by Transylvania's diet in the Peace of Szatmar
(1711), in which the country's privileges were confirmed.

While Royal and Ottoman Hungary were reunited to form the (Habsburg)
Kingdom of Hungary, Transylvania was not included, but remained a separate
entity. The principality's representative body was the diet; it did
not meet between 1761 and 1790. The Austrian authorities, with some
success, interfered in the appointment of officials, with the result
of Catholics often given preferential treatment.

Transylvania had a capital of it's own - Kolozsvar (Cluj, Klausenburg),
a diet of it's own dominated by the Hungarian nobility and the often
German representatives of the cities. Although Transylvania granted
freedom of religion, a clear distinction was made between Accepted
Confessions - Lutheranism, Calvinism, Catholicism - and Tolerated Confessions/Religions
(Orthodox Christianity : the Vlachs, and Judaism). The Vlachs (Romanians),
which probably formed the population majority, were not represented
on Transylvania's diet.

The border regions of Transylvania were placed under military administration
(Militärgrenze). Alba Iulia was fortified 1715-1738.

The mission of the establishment of new regiments was given on 5 July
1761 to the austrian cavalry general, Adolf Nicholas Buccow. According
to the draft prepared by Buccow, October 13,1761, the Aulic Council
decided to disband the frontier guards and their organization, for
a good effectiveness and minimum military expenditure along the border
of Transylvania, Banat and Bukovina.

General Buccow proposed in this occasion, the establishment of a "border
militia" composed of two infantry Romanian regiments, each comprising
3000 troops, two regiments of Szekler infantry, a regiment of Romanian "dragons" (cavalry)
and one of Székely “Hussar”, each with 1000 riders.
Transylvanian border-guard numbers (by these units) was estimated to
reach 17000 troops. Border militarization started in 1761 reaching
a self-going organization by the year 1766, when Empress Maria Theresa
sanctioned a military Status of the border regiments, composed of 84
articles.

Apart from guarding the border and to fight
under the banner of Habsburg, Romanian border soldiers also had the
responsibility of making health cordons (quarantine), to stop entry
of cholera patients in the provinces of the Empire, and emigration
over the Carpathians mountains of discontented subjects.

Of an entire Regiment (3708 soldiers) worked as summer guards a total
of 908 border soldiers, while winter guards were reduced to 695. Each
company was entrusted to guard a well delimited area of the border.
Guarding the border was done in fixed postations, pickets or cordons,
but also with patrols in different periods, depending on the importance
of the watched route.

History: In 1766 the Romanian border regiment based
in Orlat was formed under direct supervision of General Ziskovic. The
slogan worn by the regimental battle flag from Orlat is almost forgotten,
it was "Viribus Unitis" (united powers).

Recr.Dist.: near the
north part of the Carpathian mts. (districts of the Hunyadi county,
expecially in the Hátszeg valley, in the Fogaras district of
the free Wallachia (Romanen), borderlands Boern and Puskas from Rotenthurm
till the Bodzaer Paß [25]

1809: (only one combined battalion of six comp.)

- before Aspern: - it began with 1 Combined battalion with Brig.
Branovatzky, Div. Schauroth, VII Corps archduke Ferdinand. After April
1st the two Wallachian battalion (1st Rgt. and 2nd Rgt. Combined battalions
under colonel Auftieffern) were in the autonomous avant-garde
brigade GM Mohr with order to advance till Radom. They were at the
Raszyn battle and then in Warsaw. The first battalion (major Kreitter)
was detached to Radzymin; the 2nd battalion marched with its commander.
The two battalions fought at Grochow and then, April 29, crossed the
Vistula at Gora defending the bridgehead. After the withdrawal, colonel
Auftieffern and the 1st battalion were detached to defend Sandomir
and Zamosc. On May 15 the Mohr Brig. with the 2nd battalion attcked the
bridgehead of Thorn. On May 18 they abandoned Sandomir.

On May 20 the Poles attacked Zamosc, where stood 3 comp. of the rgt.
The regiment there lost 571 men, made prisoners, and the battalion
commandr major von Pettenek. Now the 3 remaining comp. of the 1st Batt.
were at the Gorcyze clash. On June 15 the 3 comp. returned on the Vistula
left bank under Brig. GM Trautenberg and then withdrew till the armistice.

- before Aspern: After April 1st the two combined Wallachian
battalion were in the autonomous avant-garde brigade GM Mohr with order
to advance till Radom. See above.

Czajkists or Tschaikisten, also called Nassadisten (serbian Šajkaši),
were river sailors of the Danube, which had the task to defend (originally)
the port of Belgrad and to watch the Border with the Ottoman Turkish
Empire.

Originally they served under the Kingdom of Hungary and later under
the Habsburg, when they obtained the
“Grenzer” status (Militärgrenze). During the battle
of Peterwardein (1526, close to the battle of Mohács) the Tschaikisten
fought the Ottoman Danube Flotilla under the serbian Commander Radič Božić.

The
Turkish conquest of Belgrad moved the Danube “Marines” in
the area of Petrovaradin, where they rebuilt their flotilla. Many moved
also to Slovakia. When Austria consolidated its rule over Hungary and
the current serbian region of Vojvodina, it was also created a Tschaikist
province, the “Šajkaška” inside the Batschka
(Baczka).

The so called “Czajkisten Battalion”, as part of the Military
Border, was raised in 1763. In the beginning, the population of the
region was composed entirely of Serbs, which were brave and skilful
warriors.[27]

Their military command in 1809 was in Titel, 2217 inhabitants in 1820,
498 of whom were german, placed in the corner between the Danube and
the Tisza (Theiss) rivers. In the Militärgrenze time, there they
recruited the personnel for the so-called “Tschaikisten”
Battalion, the Tschaikisten Distrikt being formed by villages of: Lock
- Vilova - Moschorin - Gardonovacz - Unter-Kovill - Ober-Kovill - Unter
Sz. Ivany - Josephs-Dorf - Gozpodincze - Kaats - Georgievo - Csurug – Nadaly.

Their name came from their characteristic boats: the “Tschaika” or
Nassen (Shajka), a long and narrow rowing boat similar to a small galley,
with a single sail, and with one gun ( the
Şayka-Geschütz, or with the generic Ottoman name of Topçu).
During the
“Napoleonic” times the battalion was organized as a Pontoons
unit. The battalion was under the Oberst-Schiff-Amt (Supreme Naval
Bureau) at Wien (GM Josef Schwäger von Hohenbruck). Its “sailors” had
to watch the “Schiffämter”
(Naval Commands) at : Linz, Scharnstein, Prague, Cracow, Pressburg,
Komorn, Pest, Szegedin, Esseg, Peterwardein, Semlin, Temesvar, Pancsova
and Sissek.

Staff at Vienna and Klosterneuburg, then Titel.

1809 commander: major-oberstlieutenant Aaron von Stanissavljevich.
They were part with the Army of Germany (145 pontoons) and part with
the Inner Austria Army.

The Danubian navy and pontoons battalion (Czajkisten bataillon) or
Titler battalion had the following force:

Line

Econ.

Czajkisten
Bataillon Staff

Line

Econ.

Section

6 Companies

Section

1

--

Stabs-Offizier
(commander)

1

--

Major

--

1

Oekonomie-Hauptmann

--

1

Auditor

--

1

Rechnungsführer

--

1

Grundbuchsführer

1

--

Corps-Feldarzt

3

3

Unter-Ärzte

1

--

Bataillons
Adjutant

3

--

K.k. ordinare
Cadetten

--

3

Stabsschreiber

3

3

Fouriere

1

--

Bataillons
Tambour

4

--

Hautboisten

3

--

Führern

1

--

Profoß

2

--

Fourierschützen

2

--

Halb-invaliden Privatdienern

Schiffpersonale
(Ship personnel)

1

Hauptmann-Schiffbaumeister

1

Schiffszimmer-Polier

12

Civil-Handswerksleute

1

Privatdiener

Line

Econ.

Czajkisten
Compagnie

Line

Econ.

Section

Section

4

--

Hauptleute

2

--

Capitain-Lieutenante

6

--

Oberlieutenante

6

--

Unterlieutenante

--

3

Oekonomie
Oberlieutenante

--

3

Oekonomie
Unterlieutenante

6

--

Oberbrückenmeistern

6

6

Tschaikisten
Feldwebeln

1

--

Artilleriste
Feldwebel

36

12

Tschaikisten
Corporalen

4

--

Artilleriste
Corporalen

--

6

Compagnie
Schreiber

6

--

Fourierschützen

12

--

Tambouren

72

24

Tschaikisten
Gefreyten

12

--

Artilleriste
Gefreyten

48

--

Zimmerleute

18

--

Halb-invaliden
Privatdienern

--

6

Ganz-invaliden
Privatdienern

Notes about the Evolution of the
Military Border Troops after 1809

1810 –
the “French” Croatians

The Decree of 1 January 1810 began the reorganization of six Grenz
regiments along French guidelines. Initially, all the senior officers
were replaced with French officers, but this eventually changed. However,
the commanding officers were to remain French throughout their short
history in the French army.

As there was already an established seniority amongst these regiments,
the French decided to retain that seniority and the croatian regiments
were renamed as follows:

Old
Name

new
N.

Liccaner

1

Otochaner

2

Oguliner

3

Szluiner

4

1st
Banal

5

2nd
Banal

6

Initially each regiment was organized on two battalions, but during
1812, the regiments raised a 3rd and 4th battalion. The strength of
a two battalion regiment was 60 officers and 2,680. These men were
organized into the standard six company organization of a French light
battalion. They had a carabinier, a voltigeur and four chasseurs
companies each. The regimental staff consisted of:

1

Colonel

1

Regimental adjudant

1

Colonel-major

1

Regimental surgeon major

2

Chefs de bataillon

2

Battalion surgeon majors

1

Adjudant-major capitaine

1

Teneur des livres (Bookkeeper)

1

Capitaine d’economie

6

Cadets

1

Sous-lieutenant d’economie

3

Fourriers

3

Auditors (Regimental judges)

6

Fourriers d’economie

2

Maitres de comptes Chief accountants)

1

Drum major

6

Porte drapeaux (Flag bearers)

1

Chef de musique

1

Provost

7

Musicians

Each battalion had:

6

Capitaine

36

Sergeants

6

Lieutenant

12

Sergeants d’economie

3

Lieutenants d’economie

48

Corporals

6

Sous-lieutenants

48

Corporals d’economie

6

Sous-lieutenants d’economie

6

Carpenters

6

Ensigns

12

Drummers

6

Sergeant majors

24

Domestics or Servants

6

Sergeant,majors d’economie

1,080

Carabiniers, Voltigeurs and Chasseurs

1308

Total

The artillery company remained probably retaining a strength of 50
men. In addition, the old formation of the Grenz regiments had a very
large staff of non-military personnel, such as priests, schoolmasters,
carpenters, masons and foresters. The staff of
"extra" personnel for the first four regiments remained high
with 97 men, but in the 5th and 6th Regiments this staff consisted
of only 19 men.

In order to train these units in the French tactical system was established
a military school in Carlstadt, where each regiment had to send six
officers and two non-commissioned officers.

As full line units, these regiments never took the field for the French
flags. Instead were formed
"Provisional" regiments by breaking off single battalions
from each regiment and then merging them with other battalions. The
1st Provisional Croatian Regiment was organized on October 26, 1811,
by grouping the first battalions of the 1st and 2nd Croatian Regiments.

The 2nd Provisional Regiment was formed on February 25, 1813 with
the 1st battalions of the 3rd and 4th Regiments. The 3rd Provisional
Regiment was organized on September 21, 1811 with the first battalions
of the 5th and 6th Regiments.

“Rassjia”
!

The 1st and 3rd Provisional Regiments joined the Grande Armee in its
catastrophic invasion of Russia and fought very bravely. The 3rd Provisional
Regiment proved itself to be an extremely brave and hard fighting regiment
when, at the second battle of Polotsk, it attempted rather unwisely
to outperform the 4th Swiss Infantry Regiment.

It appears that a serious rivalry had arisen between these two regiments
and that only the battlefield could provide the appropriate arena for
showing who was the braver. The only result of this display of bravado
was a serious beating for both, when they attempted to engage the entire
1st Russian Corps of Count Wittgenstein by themselves.

As the 3rd Provisional Regiment began to withdraw towards France,
it was engaged at Berezina. Here it lost two officers killed and 18
wounded. It appears it was an hard fighting unit, with so many officers “hors
de combat”.

Though details of their actions are scarce, the 1st Provisional Regiment
was awarded with 6 Crosses of the Legion d’honneur (on 18 October
by Napoleon). It fought at Malo-Jaroslavetz and lost a chef de bataillon
and one captain killed outright, and 3 captains and 8 lieutenants mortally
wounded. It was obviously in the bulky of the fighting.

When the 1st Provisional Regiment returned from Russia it had only
22 officers and 31 non-commissioned officers. The campaign was slightly
kinder for the 3rd Provisional Regiment and it returned with 16 officers
and 141 non-commissioned officers and men. These men were absorbed
into their original parent units and the provisional regiments were
never raised again.

The 2nd Provisional Regiment, raised in 1813, was sent to Germany
where it became part of the garrison of Glogau. When the city was besieged
they were shut in and remained there until the city capitulated. The
regiment was returned to the Austrians who promptly disbanded it.

It seems also they have been raised a 4th Provisional Regiment in
August 1813. It appeared to have fought with Eugene, but its fate is
currently unknown. When the Croatian provinces were returned to Austria,
it was disbanded what remained of the former Croatian regiments.

The peacetime force of one austrian regiment of the 2 Croatian and
3 Slavonian Grenzinfanterie was fixed (by the Hofkriegsrat on August
10, 1811), in 12 companies and one administrative section (Ökonomie-Abteilung).

Line

Econ.

Croatian-Slavonian
Grenzinfanterie

Line

Econ.

Section

Regiment’s
STAFF

Section

1

--

Colonel regiment’s
commander

1

--

Oberstlieutenant

2

--

Majore

--

1

Oekonomie
Hauptmann

1

--

Auditore

--

1

Oekonomie
Unterlieutenant

1

--

Regiments
Feldarzt

--

1

1ter Rechnungsführer

--

1

Grundbuchsführer

1

--

2ter Rechnungsführer

1

--

Regiments
Adjutant

1

--

Ober-Ärzt

6

--

K.k. ordinare
Cadetten

6

6

Unter-Arzten

3

6

Fourieren

--

5

Stabsschreiber

1

--

Regiments
Tambour

8

--

Hautboisten
(Hoboisten)

3

--

Führer

1

--

Profoß

4

--

Fourierschützen

3

--

Halb Invaliden
Privatdiener

--

6

Ganz (totally)
Invaliden Privatdiener

TOTALS

43

27

Line

Econ.

Croatian-Slavonian
Grenzinfanterie

Line

Econ.

Section

12 Companies

Section

8

--

Hauptleute

4

--

Capitain-lieutenants

12

--

Oberlieutenants

12

--

Unterlieutenants

12

--

Fähnriche

--

6

Oekonomie
Oberlieutenant

12

12

Feldwebel

--

6

Oekonomie
Unterlieutenant

12

24

Corporalen

--

12

Compagnieschreiber

12

--

Fourierschützen

24

--

Tambours

96

96

Gefreyte

12

--

Zimmerleute

?

Gemeine Fusilier,
Scharfschützen, Artilleristen as stated

--

6

Ganz (totally)
Invaliden Privatdiener

3

--

Halb Invaliden
Privatdiener

The Wallachisch-Illirische Regiment was formed by 16 companies.

Line

Econ.

Valachian-Illyrian
Grenzinfanterie

Line

Econ.

Section

Regiment’s
STAFF

Section

1

--

Majore

1

--

Fourierschütz

Line

Econ.

Valachian-Illyrian
Grenzinfanterie

Line

Econ.

Section

16 Companies

Section

4

--

Hauptleute

4

--

Capitain-lieutenants

4

--

Oberlieutenants

4

--

Unterlieutenants

4

--

Fähnriche

4

--

Fourierschützen

10

--

Privatdiener

TOTALS

34

--

2

Oekonomie
Oberlieutenant

--

4

Compagnieschreiber

--

2

Oekonomie
Unterlieutenant

--

16

Gefreyte

--

4

Feldwebel

--

8

Corporalen

--

4

Privatdiener

TOTALS

40

The four Border regiments of Transylvania (Siebenbürgischen Grenz-infanterie-regimente)
had 12 companies in peacetime.

Line

Econ.

Transylvanian Grenzinfanterie

Line

Econ.

Section

Regiment’s
STAFF

Section

1

--

Oberst Commander

2

--

Majoren

1

--

Regiments
Caplan

1

--

Regiments
Rechnungsführer

1

--

Auditor

1

--

Regiments
Adjutant

1

--

Regiments
Feld-Arzt

1

--

Regiments
Tambour

2

--

Ober-Ärzte

6

--

Unter-Ärzte

6

--

K.k. Cadetten

6

--

Führern

6

--

Fourieren

4

--

Fourierschützen

8

--

Hautboisten

1

--

Profoß

5

--

Privatdienern

Total
Staff

54

Line

Econ.

Transylvania Grenzinfanterie

Line

Econ.

Section

12 Companies

Section

8

--

Hauptleute

4

--

Capitain-lieutenants

12

--

Oberlieutenants

12

--

Unterlieutenants

12

--

Feldwebeln

72

--

Corporalen

96

--

Gefreyten

12

--

Fourierschützen

24

--

Tambouren

12

--

Zimmerleute

24

--

Privatdienern

The Grenz Regiments recruited in their territories, each company or
squadron in ist own province (Canton).

In autumn 1813 some of the old (disbanded) Grenzerbataillone were
reorganized

Notes

[1] From Ranka Gašic, “History
of the Serbs in Croatia, Slavonia and Dalmatia from the Sixteenth to
the Eighteenth Century”, Ph.Diss., univ.of Belgrade.

[2] To enhance economy in the Border, the so-called “military
communities” were formed: the cities within the Border, in which
crafts and trade were developed. The first military communities, formed
in 1748, were

[6]Generalate were
military regions with the rank of territorial divisions (brigades).
They were split into Kapitanate, smaller regions equivalent
to a territorial battalion (regiment) recruitment area.

[8]Varaždinsko križevačke
krajiške pješačke pukovnije br. 5 or Kreuzer
regiment of Warasdin (Varaždin ) where Kreuzer or Kürüz
in hungarian was the name of the recruitment district (Crusaders)
remembering the St. Stephan’s Crosses on the anti-islamic flags.
The regiment recruited in its own zone of the Generalat or in the
Kapitanate of Koprivnice and Križevac. While the first siege
of the staff was probably Križevac, it was transferred to Bjelovar
since1758.

[9]Varaždinsko-đurđevačke
krajiške pješačke pukovnije br. 6 or Gjurgevatz
regiment, also St. George’s regiment (Warasdiner Sankt Georger).Till
1758 its staff was at Đurđevac, then was transferred to
Bjelovar. The recruitment companies (Satnije) were:

[11]Gradiška krajiška pješačka pukovnija br. 8. The
regimental staff has its barracks at Bogoševcima, and
then at Gradiška (current Nowa Gradiska).

[12] The Danube, Theiss and Maros borders did not
belong to the territories of the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia, but
to Hungary. However, within the defence system they were all the part
of the border on the Sava. The borders of Theiss and Maros were demilitarized
in 1749-1750, which brought about the migration of the Serbs from that
territory to Russia.

See: A Fori_kovic, Seobe Srba u Rusiju tokom 18.veka, Istorija srpskog
naroda IV-1, Beograd 1986 (Immigration of the Serbs to Russia during
the eighteenth century; The History of the Serbs IV-19.

[13] The Serbs fought to preserve their border privileges,
according to which they were free soldiers who recognized the autority
of the Emperor and his Generals only. In no way would they agree to
be serfs of the lords whose abandoned lands they inhabitated. They
wanted to be the free owners of the soil they tilled and to preserve
their Orthodox faith. During the seventeenth century the Croatian and
Slavonian estates fought a constant battle against the commanders of
the Borders for the status of the "Wallachians". They wanted
to turn them into serfs they needed to work on their estates, and the
Bishop of Zagreb demanded that they pay taxes for the Catholic church.
The frontiersman appealed to Generals, usually with success, because
they were irreplaceable in the defence.

[14] Provintial (provincial)
were the territories not in the Military Border, ruled by lords of
feudal like estates. The “županije” were the counties
of the Croatian-Slavonian lands.

[15]Peterwardein a royal free town and fortress of Hungary in
the county of Syrmia, Croatia-Slavonia; situated on a promontory formed
by a loop of the Danube. It was connected with Neusatz (today Novi
Sad) on the opposite bank by a boat-bridge and a ferry. The fortifications
consisted of the upper fortress, on a lofty serpentine rock rising
abruptly from the plain on three sides, and of the lower fortress at
the northern base of the rock. The two fortresses could have accommodated
a garrison of 10,000 men.The Petrovaradinska krajiška
pješačka pukovnija br. 9had not its siege at Peterwardein,
while at Mitrovica (today Sremska Mitrovica and ancient Syrmium).

[16] The word ban means "lord, master; ruler".
The Slavic word is probably borrowed from late Thracian *ban meaning "master
(of a house)" (cf. Albanian bánë, banésë - "house",
Romanian ban - nobility rank, Bănie, Banat - "region
under the rule of bans"). Another assumption for the origin of
the ban was a borrowing from a Turkic language, from the Avar word
bajan meaning "ruler of the horde", South Slavic ban is a
result of the contraction from the earlier form bojan. The long form
is directly attested in 10th-century Constantine Porphyrogenitus' book
De Administrando Imperio as βο(ε)άνος,
in a chapter dedicated to Croats and the organisation of their state,
describing how their ban "has under his rule Krbava, Lika and
Gacka".

[17]Prva
banska krajiška pješačka pukovnija br. 10.
Was one of the austrian regiments which went under the French rule,
in 1809, after the Treaty of Schönbrunn. It recruited in the
south-western area of the Banal territory, in the Kapitanat of Glina,
where was the staff. The commands of its Satnija were at:

[18]Druga banska krajiška pješačka pukovnija br. 11. In 1809 it followed the destiny of its
„brother” n° 10. The regiment recruited in the northern
and western areas of the Petrinja Kapitanat.

[19] the Karansebes
regiment was partially recruited in the german Banat and had some “grenz” fortresses
in its area: Mehadia, Orsova and Bosovich. It recruited from the kapitanate:
Weisskirchen (Fejértemplom) siege of a battalion, Schupanek,
Teregova, Töplic, Vár, Mezerich or Möserich.

[20] The Hungarian area (later County) Háromszék
means
"three seats". The Háromszék region was a combination
of three settlements (seats) of the Székely: Kézdiszék,
Orbaiszék and Sepsiszék. Háromszék county
was formed in 1876, when the administrative structure of Transylvania
was changed.

[21] For the 8 squadrons of the Szekler Hussars or 11th
Hussars Regiment under oberst baron Martin von Rakowsky, see after
under the hungarian Hussars part.

[27] The Tschaikist battalion was in effect a medieval
naval force, protecting the riverine borders in the Slavonian and Syrmian
frontier areas against smuggling and the spread of the bubonic plague.
The unit remained on the military establishment of the Military Border
after 1747, and redeployed to Titel in the area between the Danube
and Theiss rivers in 1763. In 1764, the battalion establishment was
increased from two to four companies. The Tschaikist battalion operated
light rowed and sailed gunboats, imperial Freikriegsschiffe, armed
with one heavy and several smaller guns. Tschaika gunboats (slavic
for "lapwing"), were similar in construction to the Nassadist
flatbottomed gunboats built in Hungary. They proved much more suitable
for riverine warfare on the Danube and its navigable tributaries, than
the large 40- to 64-gun ships of the Danube Flotilla which were lost
by grounding without exception. Komorn Fortress in Hungary became the
key strongpoint, naval shipyard and repair facility of the Tschaikist
battalion.